


The Journey There

by sarih93



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-13
Updated: 2016-10-13
Packaged: 2018-08-22 04:07:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8272201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sarih93/pseuds/sarih93
Summary: Neighbor whose way too enthusiastic about LOTR soundtracks au





	

Kelley feels like she's earned herself at least two beers. Moving into her new apartment in a new city had been pretty stressful. She loved her job in an environmental think tank but it didn't leave her with a lot of free time.

She's taking the first sip of the beer when her phone alerts her of a new text message. It's from her sister: _Are you already at your new place?_

Kelley smiles at the message. Distance has never really weaken her relationship with her family and now that she's living in New York at least they're all in the same coast again. 

 _Yes! FaceTime?_ She types as she settles into her new used couch. 

Almost immediately Erin calls her. 

"You're finally out of that hotel room!" 

"It's really nice to not be living out of my suitcases anymore," Kelley agrees. Sure she was grateful the company had offered to pay for a month in a decent hotel but she hated how impersonal it felt to live in a hotel room.  

"I want to see your new place. Give me the grand tour" 

It's a pretty quick tour considering her apartment it only has the one bedroom. She is pretty proud that she managed to get an apartment with a decent view (not a brick wall or some stranger's bathroom) and she leaves it for last. 

"Have you met any of your neighbors yet?" The small tinge of concern in her big sister's voice makes Kelley smile.

"So far the only person I've seen here is the mailman. Wait no, that's a lie. Yesterday I saw this really hot woman in the lobby but just when I was going to talk to her my boss called and she left so I don't even know if she actually lives here," Kelley shrugs. 

"That's too bad."

"Eh it's ok. How are things with Johnny? When are you coming up to visit your favorite sister?"

Erin catching her up on life in Georgia makes her feel less homesick and when it’s time to hang up Kelley isn’t sad. She just reclines back on the couch and lets out a contented sigh. It's time for that second beer.

* * *

 

After a month in NYC Kelley has made a few important breakthroughs: she can navigate the subway system and her apartment is fully furnished. She still has a long list of places she wants to visit but she's not in a hurry. 

Kelley makes sure to talk to her family at least once a week but right now she is only half-listening to what her sister is telling her about how the planning of her wedding is going. She has the phone on speaker while she makes herself some stir-fry, the only thing she could make with what she had on the fridge.

"Oh God not again." Kelley groans and looks up to the ceiling.

"What? What is it?" 

"One of my neighbors is obsessed with The Lord of the Rings, they're always listening to the soundtrack; It's so annoying."

"How do you even know recognize it?" 

"A lot of people listened to it in college," Kelley explains. Unsurprisingly Lord of the Rings was pretty popular in Stanford.

"Right," Erin laughs, "Nerd nation. Shouldn't you be into this stuff too?"

"It's whatever I guess. But do they have to listen to it every single day? I bet it's this dude from upstairs, he looks like he still plays Dungeons and Dragons."

"Kelley," Erin tries to be reprimanding but she laughs along. "Are you going to complain about the noise?"

"I don't know, right now I'm starving."

"I'll leave you to it then. I know better than to get between you and food. Bye nerd."

"Bye loser." 

* * *

 

An error in the data meant that everyone had to work overtime three days in a row. It's almost eight when Kelley finally gets home and she goes straight for the pizza in her fridge. She considers reheating but decides it's not worth the effort. 

Kelley is polishing off the last slice when a familiar music starts playing. 

"That's it," she mumbles to herself. This needs to stop. 

As a woman on a mission she goes out to the hallway, determined to figure out which of her neighbors has a Tolkien obsession. She doesn't even have to take five steps to figure out that the source of all of her misery was actually right next door. 

Kelley huffs and knocks on the door. She hears the footsteps approaching and then the door is opened. And Kelley's jaw hit the ground. It's the woman she saw getting on the elevator the other day and even in ratty sweatpants and a tank top she’s still the hottest woman she's ever seen. But not really someone she would have pictured blasting the soundtrack of a movie with Hobbits, Elves and Orcs in it. 

"Hi," Kelley says dumbly. Is she staring? She feels like she's staring. "Hi I’m Kelley, I just moved next door."

"Oh, I didn't know they finally rented it out. I'm Hope Solo by the way." She offers Kelley a handshake. 

"Why, is it haunted?" Kelley is only half joking.

"No no nothing like that." The tempo of the music picks up and Hope grimaces in realization. "Has my music been bothering you? Mr. Goldstein," she points to the apartment on the other side of hers, "is a little deaf so he doesn't mind."

"Not really, it’s okay" Kelley lies. 

Hope leans on her door. "What can I do for you?"

So many things Kelley shamelessly thinks to herself. "I was wondering if you had a cup of sugar? I can pay you back in cookies."

"I do like cookies. Come in," Hope signals with her head for Kelley to follow her.

Instead of gawking at Hope’s arms in that tank top Kelley takes a look around. Their apartments are obviously the same but Kelley can't help but pick up on the interesting decor. Like the amount of flowers or the Star Wars poster. 

"Here." Hope hands over the sugar. 

“Thank you.”

Sometimes Kelley is just too gay for her own good; all it took was a pretty face and not only did she not complain about the noise, now she’s also baking cookies. She doesn't even know if she has the rest of the ingredients.

Kelley goes back to her apartment and types out a text to her sister.

_Guess who's my next door neighbor? The hot girl I saw @elevator!!_

She thinks for a minute and then types another text. _Another thing do you know any good cookies recipes???_

* * *

 

It takes Kelley a few days to get the time to make the cookies, luckily she did have flour and sugar too actually but she still uses Hope's.  Erin sent her the recipe of the chocolate chip cookies they used to make with their mom when they were kids. It doesn’t taste exactly the same, probably because she used a different chocolate but she’s pretty pleased with the end result. Hopefully her blue-eyed neighbor would like them too.

There’s no music coming from Hope’s apartment but still Kelley takes a chance and knocks on her door. But there’s no answer. Kelley contemplates just leaving the plate of cookies on the floor but she says to herself that some could steal the cookies. Also when is she going to get another opportunity to talk to her again? So she just leaves a note telling Hope to swing by her apartment.

Since it’s a Sunday Kelley decides to stay in and check what’s new on Netflix. If she chose carefully what shorts to wear with one of her Stanford t-shirts and checked her messy bun on the mirror that’s neither here or there.

Not even two hours later there's a knock on the door and Kelley barely manages to hit pause before she rushes to answer it.

She’s never been a good actress so it wouldn’t surprise her if Hope could tell how excited she really is to see her again. In any case Hope doesn’t look put off by her so she’s going to take that as a win.

“I figured you weren’t home earlier because of the lack of music from the Middle Earth but I didn’t want you to think that I was going to break our deal.”

“I’m not _always_ listening to the LOTR soundtrack,” Hope rolls her eyes but Kelley notices the light blush creeping her neck, “just when I’m writing.”

“What do you write?” Kelley asks while she gets the cookies from the kitchen counter.

“I’m a freelance journalist.”

“That’s cool.”

“Some days,” Hope jokes.  “What do you do? Besides baking cookies I mean.”

“I just started working in an environmental engineering think tank, basically trying to create more affordable eco-friendly gadgets. That’s why I moved to New York.”

“That’s cool,” Hope repeats Kelley’s lame answer and it makes her laugh. Apart of being a gorgeous nerd it seems Hope is also smart and just the right amount of sarcastic.

No wonder it takes Kelley a minute to realize she still has the cookies in her hand.

“Here,” Kelley offers the plate to Hope, “I hope you like chocolate chip cookies.” It’d be really awkward if she was allergic to chocolate.

“I love them.”

Now it seems like Hope is the one stalling because she doesn’t try to leave just yet.

“If you want I could show you around the city sometime, since you just moved here,” Hope offers casually.

Hope’s act of casual indifference lasts the .5 seconds it takes Kelley to vigorously nod.  "I'd like that," she adds. 

Hope gives her her biggest smile yet. "Thanks for the cookies again."

Kelley walks Hope the ten steps to the door. Right afterwards she whips out her phone from her back pocket and types a text to Erin.

_pretty sure I just got a date with my neighbor. I told you I have game!_

**Author's Note:**

> the LOTR soundtracks are actually really good


End file.
